The Story of Ricky

The ultra-violent Hong Kong cult classic The Story of Ricky has lost none of its appeal since being released in 1992. If anything, the fighting exploits of a vengeance-seeking young prison inmate named Ricky Ho (Louis Fan) have begun to intrigue a new generation of fans. After all, who can resist the spectacle of our hero gouging out one opponent's eyeball, disemboweling another, smashing his superhuman fist straight through the chest of a third and famously exploding the head of a villain named Hai, who has just sliced his own stomach open in an attempt to strangle Ricky with a length of bloody intestine? Based on a Japanese graphic novel -- two Japanese anime films were made from the same, uh, material -- this notorious gorefest is the work of director Lam Nai-Choi. He was aided and abetted by cinematographer Mak Hoi-Man, who, given the volume of spatter, must have gone through dozens of lens caps.

The Story of Ricky screens Saturday, July 8, as part of the Midnight Madness series at the Esquire Theatre, 590 Downing Street. For information, call 303-352-1992.